strongest Market-to-Market gains, with attendance growth of 17%;
the gift category registered attendance increases of 12%;
attendance by home décor buyers grew by 9%; and attendance by
interior designers, architect and contract/hospitality buyers
increased by 9%.
Buyer representation spanned the nation and the world, with
buyers from all 50 states and some 77 countries attending Winter
Market. Within the U.S., the highest attendance was by buyers from
California, Nevada, Texas, Arizona and Utah. Leading international
countries represented were Canada, Mexico, China, Australia and
Colombia.
Exhibitors in all categories reported vigorous order writing and
traffic throughout the Market. "The Winter Market has been great; in
fact, it's been insane!" said Luis Ruesga, chief executive of furniture
and home décor supplier Zuo Modern. "The traffic has been strong
– by Tuesday we already had seen 2,400 buyers, about 1,000 more
than we normally would see. We've had all tiers of customers – big
stores (Macy's, Target, Rooms to Go) as well as new independent
stores and interior designers. I really like the lifestyle structure that
has been adopted here: there are more mattresses, lighting, décor
and seasonal. Overall there's a lot more diversity."
Highlights of the Winter Market included a rich assortment of new
product introductions and an increase in upscale exhibitors featuring
better goods. Notable launches included upholstery and case
goods manufacturer Vanguard Furniture, which debuted a cross-
merchandised package of furniture, decorative textiles and home
accessories in conjunction with leading luxury bedding and
accessories supplier Eastern Accents; major upper-end bedding
